This morning National Geographic Orion berthed alongside the Sim Kheng Hong Wharf, in Kuching. Right away, we were lucky to witness a traditional Dayak cultural performance on the wharf. And once we disembarked the ship, we were presented with an ornamental scarf by the performers.
We then had the opportunity to visit Semengoh Wildlife Centre. We boarded our buses and enjoyed the commentary about Kuching by our local guides. Soon enough, we arrived at the entrance to Semengoh Wildlife Centre. We had the choice to take the shuttle bus or stroll to the Centre itself. We all gathered to gain a vantage point surrounding one of the feeding stations.
The rangers kept calling out the names of the orangutans and eventually we heard the rustling of the trees. Soon enough the first young and then the second orangutans descended down to the feeding station. Eventually, we were rewarded by the appearance of an adult female orangutan arrive at the feeding station. After this magical experience with the orangutans, we made our way back towards the shuttle buses or simply walked along the road.
We then had the return bus ride back to National Geographic Orion for a well-earned lunch. After lunch, we were offered an inclusive city tour. For those of us on the city tour, we boarded our buses and departed the wharf towards the city of Kuching. We first visited South Kuching City Hall, which resembled a Chinese pagoda. From here we continued to the Cat Monument, of which Kuching is famous for. Then we had a short bus ride to visit the Sarawak Museum. We had plenty of time to explore the museum, surrounding gardens, and nearby monuments. After our visit here, we took a short bus ride and disembarked to explore the waterfront boardwalk that overlooked the impressive bazaar and also to embark on some retail therapy before heading back to the ship.
Throughout the afternoon, a shuttle bus operated from the wharf and the Riverside Hotel in the central city precinct. Before dinner, we had a wonderful opportunity to go to the Sarawak Cultural Village to see a dazzling performance of many of the cultural ethnic groups of the region, including Dayak and Iban, and we also had the opportunity to join in with the dancers. What a wonderful way to end our visit to Kuching.
